Is It Leather?

?????????? ?????????????? ???????????????? ?????????????? ?????????? The leather industry has such a fantastic story. Every key point of this fabulous natural material rings true and is backable by simple straightforward facts. One of the positive aspects of real leather that doesn’t see much “airtime” is that utilizing real leather actually REDUCES waste! Think about it - as a byproduct of the meat industry there are millions of tons of hides produced annually. If we don’t fully utilize the animal then the leftover hides are dumped into landfills and create waste as it degrades back into the earth over time. And then the multiplier effect begins to come into play: if we don’t use the available hides for leather in favor of fake alternatives, we begin a nasty cycle of “creating” new materials that aren’t needed - generating all the negative environmental waste of the fake leather production cycle as well as the inevitable dumping of fake leather into landfills (where it never degrades) in addition to the unused hides…essentially doubling, if not tripling, our waste. Leather is a premier example of a circular solution that reduces our impact on the environment. We repurpose waste from the beef industry and turn it into durable goods. We remove the need for the creation of fake plastic alternative waste being added to our environment and insure that our natural resources are being fully utilized.? Leather products last 3-5 times longer than fake alternatives, and when returned to the earth decomposes over time. It is such a beautiful, complete and responsible process, it's hard to believe that it's not widely celebrated. But alas, the activist-generated disinformation has got its grips on real leather. We have to continue to promote the truth and describe this beautiful circularity to all that can hear. Keep it simple and repeat after me: 1. Cows are NEVER killed for their hides 2. Leather is more sustainable and durable than fake alternatives 3. “Vegan” leather is usually plastic and creates long-term pollution These are the truths that we have to keep repeating in order to drown out the falsehoods that are hurting our entire industry. If everyone is concerned about waste - they should know using leather is a great way to reduce it! #leather #sustainability

?????? ?????????? ???????????????? ?????? ???????????? Never before have generational segments of the population been so different in how they act, what they believe, how they learn, and what they stand for. Older generations, like Baby Boomers, are more likely to understand the value of real leather. They’ve lived through the rise of “polyester” in the 70s and 80s and aren’t afraid to look back and laugh at old photos of “Leisure Suits” and “Rayon” Disco fashions. They’ve been around long enough to know that polyester is not a fashion statement and that there is true value in genuine, durable materials.? But future always lies in the next generations - and for leather, it's critical that we understand Millennials (born 1980-1994) and Gen Z (born 1996-2010): ? The good news is, these generations prioritize sustainability, transparency, and craftsmanship in their purchases - which all align with real leather. ? The bad news is, many have been misled into believing synthetic alternatives (like “vegan leather”) are more sustainable. So our mission is to educate these generations on critical factors such as sustainability and value, that aligns real leather with their values much better than plastic alternatives. These generations respond very well to storytelling, digital engagement, and ethical sourcing. Key Strategies to Win Over Young Consumers: 1. Create a Digital-First Brand Presence. Gone are the days of newspapers, magazines, and broadcast television with these generations. We need to shift our communication to match how they consume information. ?? a) Leverage Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn to share short-form educational videos. ?? b) Work with social media influencers in fashion, sustainability, and craftsmanship. 2. Tell the story of sustainability, transparency, AND disinformation. Everything for these generations must be short soundbites that are verifiable by “Googling it” as they are quick to verify information in real time.? ?? a) Show how leather is a by-product that reduces waste. ?? b) Highlight the sustainability and durability of real leather vs. plastics ?? c) Make leather “cool” again ? These new generations truly control the future of the real leather industry. We need to modernize how we communicate by respecting the ways they consume information. Activists know these generations very well and are actively manipulating them via social media away from leather. If we don’t effectively engage with these generations NOW, we will lose the opportunity to earn their loyalty and understanding - and our market will continue to disappear. #leather #sustainabilty

?????? - ?????????????? ?????????? ????????'?? ????????! When was the last time you visited a Leather Farm? Sounds ridiculous, right? It conjures images of some strange farmland with skeleton cattle walking around with no hides, just meat and bones. We in the industry know this is ridiculous, but it’s the exact bleak picture that activists try to paint for unknowing consumers to steer them away from buying real leather. PETA has morphed its animal cruelty crusade to include leather (no doubt in favor of Big Oil financial incentives) and is steadfastly misinforming consumers that cattle are raised and killed for their leather. Here is a direct quote from the PETA website: “?????????? ????????, ?????? ???????????? ?????????????? ???????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ???????? ?? ?????????????? ?????????????? ?????? ???????? ?????????? ?????????? ?????? ??????????.” No mention of the meat that is used to feed the needs of more than 80 percent of the world’s meat-eating population. No mention that leather is a by-product of the meat industry and that its use is one of the most sustainable actions people can take to help fully utilize all the resources nature provides us. PETA’s myopic view of the world is so distorted, self-centered, and out of touch with reality that they don’t even realize that driving people away from using leather is catastrophic for the environment and actually promotes the needless killing millions of animals through the habitat-shattering process of extracting oil from the earth to make plastic fake leather alternatives. You can’t cure crazy. But you CAN refute it. And no matter how ridiculous the thought of a Leather Farm seems to you, we need to keep pounding away on the key message that no cattle are ever killed for their leather. Because to the common consumer - a leather farm can easily become their reality if that’s all they hear. #leather #sustainability

?????????? ?????? ???????? ?????????????? ?????????? Only real leather has quality, durability and luxuriousness. Why do we buy the fake stuff? OK, maybe it's cheaper - but remember you get what you pay for! Fake leather is typically plastic - which has almost zero durability - meaning it WILL crack and peel quickly (and you can’t repair it). You will ultimately spend more money buying fake plastic items over and over again as they quickly wear out, as opposed to investing in real leather which can last a lifetime. And, each time you throw those cheap fake leather items away, they go straight to a landfill where they last forever because plastic doesn’t biodegrade. So you have a choice to make; buy cheap, buy often and clutter our landfills, or buy real leather and enjoy one of the earth’s most durable, sustainable and environmentally friendly materials for a lifetime!??

???????????? ?????????????? ?????? ???????? ???? ???????????? Vive La France! A brilliant move made by the French government last November as they lowered the tax rate on leather repair work from 20% to 5% in an attempt to encourage people to repair rather than replace shoes and other leather goods. This move is much more than just money – it’s a formal recognition that leather is a long-lasting, durable, repairable product that can last generations with proper care. And it’s leather’s longevity that is such a crucial element to its enviro-friendly characteristics. Think about that – one natural product that can outlast plastic imitations by decades and eliminate the need for creating “new” non-biodegradable plastic material that needs to be replaced within a few years and then spends eternity in landfills. While we congratulate France on this very progressive view of leather and hope other countries follow suit – we’d suggest an even tougher stance that penalizes companies that intentionally turn away from available natural materials to produce and sell higher profit, less durable goods. These actions lead directly to the unneeded pollution of our planet and are responsible for the crowding of landfills with toxic materials that will never leave the earth. That “choice” by retailers should be recognized and penalized at least enough to take the profit-driver out of the decision and should be substantial enough to dissuade them from choosing money over the environment. Our industry needs to push beyond simple education on the benefits of leather and include efforts to expose the significant environmental damage caused by creating cheap, fake plastic alternatives.? #leather #sustainability #france

Leather Needs to UNITE! Join Important Discussions at APLF?? The leather industry is facing immense pressure from activists and retailers pushing disinformation that is leading consumers toward fake leather. We are losing the "information" and "marketing" battle and the global leather markets are declining as a result. Is It Leather? campaign President Katie Kutskill will be participating in 3 important sessions during ???????? ???????? ???????? ???? that will focus on how we can work together to save our industry. Please join Katie and others for these critical discussions during the following sessions: “Unified Leather: The Path to Market Relevance” ???March 11, 2025, 12:15 – 17:00 PM ???At Leather Supply Chain Symposium by ILM ??N101B, HKCEC "Leather and the Consumer: How to communicate the sustainable value of leather" ???March 13, 2025, 10:00 – 11:00 AM ???With Deborah Taylor, PCQI, ASLTC of Sustainable Leather Foundation ??Main Stage Hall 3G, HKCEC “Who will shape the future vision for leather?” ???March 14, 2025, 10:30 – 11:15 AM ???With Yusuf Osman of YUSSICO LTD ??Main Stage Hall 3G, HKCEC Working together is our best chance to win for our industry! Click Here for the full Press Release ??https://lnkd.in/eKYXafbs

?? ?????????????? ???????? Just Released - a song we can all “RAP” our arms around.? We talk and talk about the benefits of real leather, but sometimes it feels like the leather industry is the only one singing the tune. That’s why we created an anthem for real leather. A song that not just leather lovers can sing, but one that anyone with ears will be able to enjoy! Listen and share the love - let’s make this original leather rap a song heard around the world!

???????? ????????/?????? ???????? ???????? ???????????? ?????????????????? The good news – French consumers are “all-in” on leather and other natural materials. In a survey last year by Alliance France Cuir’s Economic Observatory (recapped nicely in an ILM article – see link in comments), more than 83% of consumers stated a preference for natural materials, including leather. And the majority of consumers are completely in line with some of Leather’s most important attributes - almost 80% considering leather long lasting, 90% named it as durable and 86% of consumers understand leather is repairable. The Bad News - almost 50% of French consumers still think that cattle are killed for their leather, falling directly in line with PETAs disinformation push and putting an unneeded stress on the consumers purchasing decision. The global leather industry has a lot of educational outreach work to dispel this myth. It is critical that consumers understand that leather is a by-product of the beef industry and a highly sustainable choice. Without that knowledge, the consumer is left vulnerable to PETAs lies and the false virtue signals being sent by retailers that push them toward higher profit, cheaper plastic alternative products. So, this study helps us as an industry really focus in on a critical part of our communication mission – we need to align on by-product and sustainability messages to help consumers understand that acting on their preference to buy real leather is NOT bad for animals or the environment. If we can educate them that purchasing real leather is the most environmentally friendly and sustainable option – we can unleash their buying power currently being held back by false fears of animal cruelty. #leather #sustainability #france

?????? ???????? ???????? - ?????? ???????? ??????????????! What an activist nightmare. Data proves that our demand for meat is growing according to a recent The Wall Street Journal article. Beef consumption in the U.S. jumped over 9% during 2024. That spells bad news for Bill Gates’ insect farms and for activists trying to dissuade 80 percent of the world’s population to become vegetarians. But what does it mean for us, the beef eating consumer? It means we are doubling down on the food we love and relish for its nutrition to keep our bodies running effectively. But in a more holistic view, it means we must honor the animal and utilize as much as possible to make our nutritional intake as sustainable and environmentally friendly as possible. Beyond meat, almost 99% of a beef cow is used in some fashion to benefit humanity, be it in medicine, cosmetics, paint, adhesives and even detergents. That is a phenomenal rate of potential usage - there are not many examples that exceed the natural treasure trove of useful products derived from a beef cow. The problem arises when we, as a society, make choices that don’t take advantage of all the wonders afforded to us from the beef cow and ultimately “waste” materials that should be fully utilized. The prime example is hides - one of the most versatile and valuable resources available from the slaughter of a beef cow. We currently see over 120 million hides a year being wasted and landfilled. Many times these precious commodities are being wasted in favor of “fake” leather which is typically a petro-based plastic that we have to manufacture and produce - and then put in a landfill where it contaminates the earth forever. Hides are not “additive” to our environment, they are a by-product that maximizes our use of natural resources, lowers our impact on the environment and completes a “dust to dust” cycle just the way nature intended. As we increase our reliance on beef, we should absolutely increase our reliance on leather. These two products work hand-in-hand toward the ultimate sustainability. So as we eat more beef … it’s time to demand more real leather, and let the activists so-called concern for the earth get buried deep within in Gates Foundation’s bug farm (All Things Bugs LLC). #leather #sustainability

???????????? ?????????????? ???????? ?????????????????????? ?????? ???????? Nature has a cycle to it. It’s well-planned, sustainable and quite beautiful. Credit it to science or a deity, there is no denying this planet was built to keep itself going if we let it. That is why a responsible reliance on natural materials is so important to us all. Mother Nature gives us a head start by providing some of the strongest, durable and sustainable materials ever created as a part of the natural circularity the earth relies on. Leave it to humans to feed our needs blindly and overuse and destroy the simple sustainable gifts the earth provides. Our existence is indeed a hindrance to the natural ecosystems of the world. But there is a toughness the Earth possesses that lets us find our way. Even though over the ages we have beaten up many of our natural ecosystems, they have bent, not broken. Waiting for us to catch up. And luckily, in the recent century, humans have embraced these issues much more closely and have made sustainability and ecological protection a much higher priority. We have studied, learned and implemented some incredible changes to the way we interact with the earth over the last hundred years. And implementing activities like deforestation initiatives and regenerative farming techniques are proof that we keep evolving toward practices that are good for the planet. One of the greatest natural resources at hand is cattle. Not only do they feed us, but they provide natural, degradable materials that clothe us in real leather, heal us and protect us. Almost everything but the “moo” is used from beef cattle, a truly amazing resource rich animal that is an intricate part of “the circle of life.” ?Admittedly, there are some issues in the cattle raising process that cause concern. We hear a lot of noise in the system from anti-beefers about negative issues in cattle rearing. Most of these stories seep out from beneath political agendas, but where there are true issues, the industry is making strong efforts at correction. Take the story of White Oak Pastures in Georgia, where the owners of this family-owned farm have worked over 20 years turning it from an industrial farm to a regenerative farm, where they actually offset more carbon than they produce. It’s a wonderful story that is getting a lot of traction and was the subject of a Joe Rogan experience podcast (see link in the comments). ?? There are many other examples of ranchers and farmers studying the land, their processes and finding new and exciting ways to not only protect but revitalize the land we use. These efforts need to be lifted up, highlighted and encouraged. These people are true environmentalists, using what nature has provided to benefit the needs of humanity while making sure we respect and replace all that we use. This is the amazing cycle of sustainability that the earth provides us with – kudos to those working hard to honor it. #leather #sustainability